Edinburgh Twilight (Ian Hamilton Mysteries #1)

by Carole Lawrence

He believed writers and policemen shared the knack of seeing the darker side of their fellow man.

Suspicion is a heavy armor—’” “‘And with its weight it impedes more than it protects.’ I don’t believe Robert Burns was talking about police work when he wrote those lines, sir.”

“Every crime is a narrative, a story told backward. We know the ending, and it is our job to discover the beginning and middle.”

Oh, there was so much evil in a man, one hardly knew where to begin . . .

One thing was certain: time did not move backward. He could never reclaim those days; all he could do was hold them close and lurch into the future.

“Sometimes being clever makes it more difficult to be happy.” “It’s not about being happy—it’s about doing what needs to be done.”

“For some time now, Sergeant, I have made a study of certain . . . deviant personalities, people who are different from the average run-of-the-mill criminal. They are not different in degree, but in kind—they are a subspecies, as it were, not motivated by mere greed, jealousy, or revenge. Their deeds spring from a darker place.”

“Well done, Dickerson. Always question assumptions—that’s Hamilton’s First Rule of Investigative Procedure.” “An’ what’s the Second Rule, sir?” Ian stood up from his chair as the castle clock struck six. “Always make time for a pint or two.” Dickerson grinned. “That’s more like it, sir—first round is on me.”

He longed for the certainty and safety of fiction—in real life, monsters weren’t always vanquished, and heroes didn’t always win.

“I’m suggesting the forces of light and dark exist in a relationship of delicate balance, and that murderers appease the bloodlust of humanity. They perform a double duty: first, by expressing mankind’s desire to kill, and second, as appropriate victims of slaughter when they are brought to justice.”

“Sleight of hand is an ancient art, invented to beat the house, as it were.” “And the other players.” “Ah, but that can be risky. One must never succumb to the temptation to show one’s skill.” “Why is that?” “Because it is a very good way to court death. Your technique must be invisible, unless you want to die.”

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.’”

“The worst thing you can do to anyone is give up on him,”

“There are only two kinds of people who may behave idiotically with impunity—the very young and the very old. You, unfortunately, are neither.”